Asian-Americans: Achievements Mask Challenges

Description: In 1965, Asian-Americans comprised less than 1% of the U.S. population; today, they make up nearly 6% of the U.S. population. In an economy that increasingly relies on highly skilled workers, Asian-Americans are the best-educated, highest-income, and fastest-growing race group in the country. Not surprisingly, challenges among Asian-Americans have been overlooked by scholars and community activists. Due to not only the "model minority" spotlight, but also tremendous cultural diversity and various languages within and among Asian-American communities, it has been extremely difficult to work with the communities.

In this presentation, challenges of Asian-Americans will be addressed. The challenges of Asian men involved in the correctional system will be discussed. The voices of Korean-immigrant parents addressing their (a) feelings of vulnerability and powerlessness in parent management; and (b) strategies to overcome their challenges will be heard.

Dr. Junghee Lee is an associate professor at the Regional Research Institute for Human Services/School of Social Work at Portland State University. Dr. Lee has worked with various racial/ethnic communities including American Indian, Hispanic, and Asian, in efforts to prevent substance use/risky sexual behavior, and to improve educational and mental health outcomes.

Dr. Lew Bank is a research professor at the Regional Research Institute for Human Services/School of Social Work at Portland State University, and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Bank has worked with children and families for more than 30 years, with a focus on parenting, sibling conflict, and child adjustment. In addition, he has developed parent management training curricula (PMT) consistent with community values and goals combined with the best practices developed and tested at Oregon Social Learning Center.

Drs. Lee and Bank have been working with Asian-Americans involved in the correctional system. Also as part of a larger project to develop linguistically and culturally relevant PMT programs for use with Asian-Americans, Drs. Lee and Bank are currently collaborating with the local Korean community.